Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by CharlieBarley

« View previous chartView next chart »

Welcome one, welcome all. These are some of my favourite albums of all time. Each album means something to me, even the relatively new ones. Just over half of them I discovered in the period of the early 1990s when I was aged 15-20, although not all of those albums are 90's albums. That was when I got into music in a big way, as many teenagers do. Then current music and many classic albums. And my personal discovery of music is ongoing. For me, music is a form of connection with something greater, of solace, of self-expression and a way of channelling feelings. There are many memories here. And new ones are still being created. I have tried to make this chart represent periods from many different stages in my life also. It is subject to change as I remember other albums I like or as I discover new, or even older albums. Enjoy!

Chart updated: 04/07/2024 18:45
(Created: 08/06/2016 19:37).
Chart size: 100 albums.

There are 83 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 93 out of 100 (from 117 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.

View the complete list of 53,000 charts on BestEverAlbums.com from The Charts page.

Share this chart

Share | |

Collector's summaryLog in or register to discover the great albums that are missing from your music collection!

Sort by

91. (=)

Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space

Spiritualized

In 1997, in my final year of University, I got a free CD with Q music magazine. And it had 2 songs on it which hadn't yet charted. One was Blur's Song 2, which went on to become famous. I remember jumping round my student room to that two-minute wonder. The other was Broken Heart by Spiritualized. Now here was a sad song I could identify with. Deeply sad and yet so wonderful. I played it over and over and just wallowed in its sweet sorrow and sad wonderfulness. Later purchased the album which was designed to be like a big medicine box with the CD inside being the tablet, with directions to play it twice a day to relieve symptoms. Genius. The whole album is marvellous [First added to this chart: 10/18/2016]

Year of Release:

1997

Appears in:

738 charts

Rank Score:

7,194

Rank in 1997:

Rank in 1990s:

Overall Rank:

241

Average Rating:

82 (931 votes)

Comments:

92. (=)

Selected Ambient Works 85-92

Aphex Twin

A terrific album. Just sublime. [First added to this chart: 05/01/2021]

Year of Release:

1992

Appears in:

669 charts

Rank Score:

7,304

Rank in 1992:

Rank in 1990s:

Overall Rank:

234

Average Rating:

83 (863 votes)

Comments:

93. (=)

Urban Hymns

The Verve

A cracking album. Some incredible songs. Richard Ashcroft has a great voice and a unique gift for songwriting. This album has aged well I feel. And even though I have played it a lot of times it doesn't get old. [First added to this chart: 11/12/2016]

Year of Release:

1997

Appears in:

805 charts

Rank Score:

6,019

Rank in 1997:

Rank in 1990s:

Overall Rank:

297

Average Rating:

77 (1,078 votes)

Comments:

94. (=)

Electric Warrior

T. Rex

A quintessential glam rock album. I love this album, it casts a spell over the listener. Get It On is an all-time classic song but it is the sublime Cosmic Dancer which is my favourite track and one of my favourite songs of all time. Bolan has a lot of fun on this album and so do you. I love his goofy way with words. He is such an original songwriter. He had star quality alright. Plus he wrote great tunes to boot. It's certainly an essential listen. The rock world would be much poorer without him. [First added to this chart: 09/29/2018]

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

716 charts

Rank Score:

5,116

Rank in 1971:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

352

Average Rating:

82 (814 votes)

Comments:

95. (=)

Live At The Harlem Square Club, 1963
Live

Sam Cooke

I love Sam Cooke but I came to this late. One of the best live recordings I have ever heard. Great vibe at the gig it seems. Sublime voice. A real talent. [First added to this chart: 08/05/2019]

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

139 charts

Rank Score:

976

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

270

Overall Rank:

1,742

Average Rating:

82 (171 votes)

Comments:

96. (=)

Back Home Again

John Denver

Amazing album from the mighty John Denver. Annie's song, Back Home Again, Grandma's Feather Bed, This Old Guitar. It just has hit after hit after hit. And it's down-home, heartwarming stuff. If you don't like this you got no soul, I reckon. I love it. [First added to this chart: 10/10/2018]

Year of Release:

1974

Appears in:

47 charts

Rank Score:

119

Rank in 1974:

Rank in 1970s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

97. (=)

Jeff Wayne's Musical Version Of The War Of The Worlds

Jeff Wayne

Sublime album. Rock opera extraordinaire. Inspired to include this after seeing it on another member's chart. Like him, we were introduced to it at school. We even had song sheets to sing along to. It blew my ten-year old mind. Still have to read the book. I love the talent on here. Richard Burton's mellifluous narration, Phil Lynott, Julie Covington, Justin Hayward, David Essex, the cream of British and Irish talent. And good old Jeff at the helm. It's an exciting listen, even now all these years and 100 listens later. [First added to this chart: 02/24/2022]

Year of Release:

1978

Appears in:

106 charts

Rank Score:

747

Rank in 1978:

Rank in 1970s:

421

Overall Rank:

2,184

Average Rating:

75 (123 votes)

Comments:

98. (=)

Saturday Night Fever
Soundtrack

Various Artists

Oh man. Should I choose this one or The Bee Gees Greatest Hits? I'll have to go for this one. I have loved it most of my life and many of the songs have been with me all my life. It's so iconic and catchy and the Brothers Gibb are just masters at songwriting, never mind the amazing melodies and hooks. Also I have to have an album which represents my love of disco music. Okay -popular disco music. And this is the epitome of that. Plus the film is freakin' awesome too, and so dark underneath all those disco lights. Even though every song is not perfect, and it's cheesy as hell, I can't help loving it to death. Plus the cheese is part of its appeal. Point me towards the nearest disco! [First added to this chart: 10/08/2017]

Year of Release:

1977

Appears in:

277 charts

Rank Score:

1,172

Rank in 1977:

Rank in 1970s:

293

Overall Rank:

1,487

Average Rating:

76 (367 votes)

Comments:

99. (=)

Safe Mode: On

In The Flat Field

Bauhaus

Bauhaus' compilation album 1979-83 was a teenage bedroom album favourite, introduced to me by a school friend at the same time as the Ramones. I came to In The Flat Field, their debut album, later when I got a box set of their albums. It's so moody and mysterious. Goth-tastic. Double Dare is an excellent opening track, all the songs sound great. As an album I feel it has aged well. And I love the clip of them performing their stand-alone single Bela Lugosi's Dead, in the film The Hunger. [First added to this chart: 05/01/2021]

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

242 charts

Rank Score:

1,571

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

180

Overall Rank:

1,129

Average Rating:

78 (272 votes)

Comments:

100. (=)

Spiderland

Slint

I discovered this math-rock masterpiece in the early hours of the morning on holiday in a cottage in Cornwall, England. I couldn't sleep so I went on BEA and discovered this on a chart. It sounded good so I played it on my phone. It was eerie and ethereal and it seemed perfect for that time of the morning Now I play it regularly and it has rapidly become one of my favourites. I wish I'd discovered Spiderland sooner. It's awesome. [First added to this chart: 02/05/2017]

Year of Release:

1991

Appears in:

1,020 charts

Rank Score:

13,732

Rank in 1991:

Rank in 1990s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

84 (1,234 votes)

Comments:

120

« prev
1
2
3
...
8
9
10
next »
Goto Page:

Total albums: 100. Page 10 of 10

« View previous chartView next chart »

Don't agree with this chart? Create your own from the My Charts page!

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition

Decade	Albums	%

1930s	0	0%
1940s	0	0%
1950s	3	3%
1960s	13	13%
1970s	29	29%
1980s	18	18%
1990s	25	25%
2000s	5	5%
2010s	3	3%
2020s	4	4%

Artist	Albums	%

U2	3	3%
David Bowie	3	3%
Bob Dylan	2	2%
Pink Floyd	2	2%
Bruce Springsteen	2	2%
Kate Bush	2	2%
R.E.M.	2	2%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	43	43%
	41	41%
	5	5%
	5	5%
	1	1%
	1	1%
	1	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	99	99%
Yes	1	1%

Live?	Albums	%
No	98	98%
Yes	2	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	97	97%
Yes	3	3%

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes

Biggest climbers
Up 20 from 69th to 49th The Man Who by Travis
Up 17 from 34th to 17th The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie
Up 11 from 44th to 33rd OK Computer by Radiohead

Biggest fallers
Down 2 from 32nd to 34th If I Could Only Remember My Name by David Crosby
Down 2 from 33rd to 35th Parklife by Blur
Down 2 from 42nd to 44th Back To Black by Amy Winehouse

Virgin All-Time Top 1000 Albums by Virgin (2000)
Top 100 Albums (Online Amalgam) by musicologist97 (2019)
BEA Top 100 Reorganized According To My Taste by bonnequestion (2024)
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Channel 4 (2005)
Objectively Ranking BEA’s Top 100 by AAL2014 (2023)
100 Greatest Albums Ever by Q (2006)
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by RFNAPLES (2013)
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by tim0505 (2024)
Virgin All-Time Top 1000 Albums by Virgin (1998)
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Narcan (2011)

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)

Not a member? Registering is quick, easy and FREE!

Why register?

Join a passionate community of over 50,000 music fans.
Create & share your own charts.
Have your say in the overall rankings.
Post comments in the forums and vote on polls.
Comment on or rate any album, artist, track or chart.
Discover new music & improve your music collection.
Customise the overall chart using a variety of different filters & metrics.
Create a wishlist of albums.
Help maintain the BEA database.
Earn member points and gain access to increasing levels of functionality!
... And lots more!

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Average Rating:

93/100 (from 117 votes)

Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 117 ratings for this chart.

Sort ratings

Rating
Date updated
Member

Rating	Date updated	Member	Chart ratings	Avg. chart rating
100/100	01/31/2024 20:26	Moondance	454	84/100
95/100	01/19/2024 20:48	dihansse	308	84/100
95/100	06/21/2023 09:05	KineticEchoes02	111	88/100
95/100	06/18/2023 00:57	StreakyNuno	76	85/100
90/100	06/17/2023 19:43	Johnnyo	2,013	80/100

Rating metrics: Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some charts can have several thousand ratings)
This chart is rated in the top 1% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 92.9/100, a mean average of 93.0/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 93.5/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.7.

Please log in or register if you want to be able to leave a rating

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites

Showing all 13 members who have added this chart as a favourite

Ulf

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 83 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Maximum Rated First | Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)

From

CharlieBarley 01/31/2024 21:00

Thanks Moondance.
Nice comment. I do try and be honest about my tastes.
I will have to check your chart out, see if I have read it.
Have a good day Bud.